Shop: John Derian Company

In Target not too long ago, I bought a stack of tan notebooks whose cover art imitated old Italian school workbooks. They were part of the John Derian line for Target and they inspired me to check out what else is available at the original shop in New York city. Though I haven't yet been, I will be stopping in the next time I'm nearby to check out the quirky mushroom consoles, decoupage lamps, paper ephemera, pottery from Astier de Villatte, Hugo Guinness' linoleum cut prints in vintage frames, vintage tees from Rogues Gallery and Moroccan poufs (any excuse to use the word "pouf").

Images: John Derian Company, Inc.

Work Spaces

Whenever a new book comes out featuring artists' or writers' work spaces, I dissect the pictures for ideas and insight into the people who spend their days in those rooms. I'm fascinated by the places where creative people do their work. A good work space requires a blend of functionality and inspiration. In my own office, I first need a large desk with lots of leg room underneath. As cute as some vintage desks are, I wouldn't last long at a desk that hemmed me in. Once I have room to spread my mess around, I need items of inspiration nearby--an industrial lamp, a bulletin board to pin photos of my latest obsessions, and a cool container with lots of pens. A globe is also a must for the moments when my mind wanders to places outside of my cocoon.

Images: Recycled Home by Mark and Sally Bailey, published by Ryland, Peters & Small 2009. Maisons de Campagne magazine, July/August 2010 issue. House Beautiful magazine, July/August 2010 issue. Living etc magazine, September 2010 issue.

Vintage Book Titles

I love checking out old books when I'm at auctions and flea markets. Initially, I'm drawn to the cloth covers with intricate designs and cool fonts. I also love turning through the first few pages to see if someone has written their name inside or given some hint about the book's importance to them. (I recently acquired a vintage "See and Say" word-building book in which a child had scribbled "I really hate see and say don't you hate see and say.") Over time, I've come to appreciate the quirky titles I come across--like "The Cheerful Smugglers" above. A search of the etsy shoposphere reveals that I'm not the only one with a penchant for these old gems.

Rusty Secrets

Papers from the Past

Black Cat Hill

World Vintage Books

Surrender Dorothy

The Library Cat